A wet question.
Discussion
So, it was raining, and the parents and my sister took her boyfriend to Oxford to be dropped off, and on the way back, I noticed that my dad would drive slowly through puddles, and only if he absolutely had to, most of the time, he would shift to the centre of the road if there was no approaching traffic to avoid the puddles on the edge of the road.
This is not unusual for him, he has always been cautious about puddles.
What I did notice was that a lot of people around us, those in huge 4x4's and titchy little hatchbacks were a lot more relaxed about driving through puddles, and seemed to just blast through on the left, regardless.
I was just wondering what your views were on puddles, do you just go through them and make big splashes, or do you avoid them like the plague?
I should mention that the roads we were driving on were mostly countryside roads so no pedestrians were harmed by the other drivers
This is not unusual for him, he has always been cautious about puddles.
What I did notice was that a lot of people around us, those in huge 4x4's and titchy little hatchbacks were a lot more relaxed about driving through puddles, and seemed to just blast through on the left, regardless.
I was just wondering what your views were on puddles, do you just go through them and make big splashes, or do you avoid them like the plague?
I should mention that the roads we were driving on were mostly countryside roads so no pedestrians were harmed by the other drivers
Basic physics. If water is collecting at a point then so are other things like screws and nails.
At the same time, water typically collects around drains. Drains that you can no longer see whether the covers are still in place.
You are also blasting filthy water up under your car. While cars are more resistant in terms of keeping water out of the electrics than a few decades ago it still isn't something clever to do.
I've never go through a large puddle if it can be avoided. I am not aware of a single positive reason to do so.
At the same time, water typically collects around drains. Drains that you can no longer see whether the covers are still in place.
You are also blasting filthy water up under your car. While cars are more resistant in terms of keeping water out of the electrics than a few decades ago it still isn't something clever to do.
I've never go through a large puddle if it can be avoided. I am not aware of a single positive reason to do so.
Another thing to add, I notice there does seem to be a regional variation in attitudes towards puddles, as when I lived in Essex, I noticed a lot of people around there were usually cautious about driving through puddles so not that different from my dad, even if they were piloting a huge 4x4 that should be able to cope with some dirty water being splashed up under.
However, people over here in Berkshire and Oxfordshire both seem to be much more oblivious to driving through puddles. In fact, when we were driving on our way back, we had a taxi (Mercedes Viano taxi) go in the other direction who blasted through a puddle that was about half a mile long on the left at probably 60.
Never seen anyone that oblivious towards puddles in Essex, even the blonde yummy mummies in their XC90's or their Merc ML's.
However, people over here in Berkshire and Oxfordshire both seem to be much more oblivious to driving through puddles. In fact, when we were driving on our way back, we had a taxi (Mercedes Viano taxi) go in the other direction who blasted through a puddle that was about half a mile long on the left at probably 60.
Never seen anyone that oblivious towards puddles in Essex, even the blonde yummy mummies in their XC90's or their Merc ML's.
Aqua planing is another very good reason to avoid any standing water. My mate lost his 996 to a puddle, you hit the water and it's like ice, you're just a passenger. That an water in electrics, hidden holes etc. all add up to a good set of arguments for not Driving through water if you don't need to. Also 4x4's blasting through is a common misunderstanding on the drivers part, especially with 19" road tyres on, generally the wider/more surface contact the tyres have the higher the risk of planing.
Plus you're in danger of aquaplaning. And when you hit a deep puddle at speed it effectively brakes the side of the car that hits it, so pulling you towards that side of the road. Not good.
They can damage your vehicle at speed too, I went through a deep puddle in a VW Caddy and it pulled an undertray from the bottom of the engine.
Matt.
They can damage your vehicle at speed too, I went through a deep puddle in a VW Caddy and it pulled an undertray from the bottom of the engine.
Matt.
I'm actually pretty careful of big puddles these days.. about 10 years ago when I had a little Citroen Saxo VTR I was making progress down a country lane and came upon a fairly large puddle that was probably a couple of feet along and filled about half of my side of the road. I didn't bother to slow down and went ploughing through it only to find that whatever scientific force was in effect tried to pull my car off the road and into the trees at the side. Lesson learned. Slight brown trouser moment.
Plus who knows what's in there - could be an enormous pothole or similar. If I have no choice I will slow down and go through them but if there's nothing coming the other way I will avoid them these days!
Plus who knows what's in there - could be an enormous pothole or similar. If I have no choice I will slow down and go through them but if there's nothing coming the other way I will avoid them these days!
ILoveMondeo said:
DonkeyApple said:
I am not aware of a single positive reason to do so.
I can, splashing through puddles is fun!Splishy splashy!!
But yeah, I can see a lot of very good points as to why driving through puddles is dangerous.
But have you guys ever succumbed to splashing through puddles just for a bit of fun?
Just after I passed my test I went hooning through a massive flood in my dad's car. Completely aquaplaned and the hand of God himself stopped me leaving the road into a huge accident. Lesson learned there for me.
However, only today someone was stopped in traffic indicating right to overtake a puddle in Byfleet which was maybe 5" deep even though there was no gap in the opposite traffic in sight. So I just drove through the puddle slowly and sensibly without an issue.
There do seem to be a large number of people unable to assess risks on the road and therefore overestimate them hopelessly.
However, only today someone was stopped in traffic indicating right to overtake a puddle in Byfleet which was maybe 5" deep even though there was no gap in the opposite traffic in sight. So I just drove through the puddle slowly and sensibly without an issue.
There do seem to be a large number of people unable to assess risks on the road and therefore overestimate them hopelessly.
You can end up beng very dead:
(Extract below from : http://www.northamptonchron.co.uk/news/local/paren...
THE parents of a talented student who died in an horrific road accident have spoken of their ongoing fight and frustrations, more than two years after her tragic death.
In September 2008, Rebecca Taylor, aged 18, died in a car crash on the road between Blisworth and Milton Malsor. She was returning home after dropping her younger sister off at school in Roade.
The teenager, from Tanglewood, Collingtree, in Northampton, was driving a Peugeot at around 8.45am when it skidded on standing water, span across the road. It then collided with a Renault Megane and burst into flames. Her parents, Nicole and Chris, have said they still feel they have not received sufficient answers about their daughter’s tragic and fatal collision, despite a police investigation and an inquest into her death.
They still have concerns about how police and crash investigators examined the crash scene and continue to be very concerned about the highway’s procedures for inspecting and clearing drains and gullies of silt to prevent roads flooding.
(Extract below from : http://www.northamptonchron.co.uk/news/local/paren...
THE parents of a talented student who died in an horrific road accident have spoken of their ongoing fight and frustrations, more than two years after her tragic death.
In September 2008, Rebecca Taylor, aged 18, died in a car crash on the road between Blisworth and Milton Malsor. She was returning home after dropping her younger sister off at school in Roade.
The teenager, from Tanglewood, Collingtree, in Northampton, was driving a Peugeot at around 8.45am when it skidded on standing water, span across the road. It then collided with a Renault Megane and burst into flames. Her parents, Nicole and Chris, have said they still feel they have not received sufficient answers about their daughter’s tragic and fatal collision, despite a police investigation and an inquest into her death.
They still have concerns about how police and crash investigators examined the crash scene and continue to be very concerned about the highway’s procedures for inspecting and clearing drains and gullies of silt to prevent roads flooding.
sday12 said:
TheInsanity1234 said:
Cliftonite said:
You can end up beng very dead
Crikey.Haven't even started driving but I'll respect puddles more.
Would you say 20mph is a silly speed for water that's maybe 3-5 inches deep?
But you don't want to hit one on the motorway.
Safe to say the poor driver had a brown-trouser moment as the car suddenly faced the crash barrier, then L2, then back to the bumper of the car in front.
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